1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to packaging, and, more specifically, relates to a tubular, container-retaining package. The package combines flip-in-place tabs with the natural stiffness and resilience of the package material to lock the container within an open-ended package.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, packages were widely used to house and protect goods. Among the most common of packages was the rectangular "cardboard box". Cardboard was a structure formed by layers of paperboard, with the middle layer most typically lying in a corrugated configuration. The cardboard material was sturdy and durable, and the rectangular shape permitted the packages to be easily stacked.
High costs made material reduction a desirable goal. Despite the substantial efforts expended over the years, a need still existed for packages which required less material.
To protect and house an article, the package normally had to retain the article. The common "cardboard box" employed a paperboard panel adjacent each side of the enclosed article, and thereby fully enclosed the item within.
Recognizing the possible material savings over a full six-sided box, open-ended boxes were introduced. However, an additional method or structure was required to prevent the escape of the housed item through the open ends of the container. Glued flaps, staple-secured flaps, tape fasteners, or an over-pack, such as a "shrink-wrap", were all common approaches to securing an item within an open-ended box. Since each of these alternatives required additional materials and/or added operations to assemble the package, a need continued for an open-ended box which didn't require any added fasteners or wrappings, and which required minimal, if any, additional effort to secure the item within.